What is the most common dairy cow in the U.S.?

I know you're picturing those black and white spots, and the milk cartons with a smiling cow on the label. You're imagining a Holstein cow, which makes up nearly 90% of all dairy cows in the United States. The whole Holstein takeover started in 1852 when Winthrop Chenery, a Massachusetts farmer, spotted a cow on a Dutch ship and thought, "now that's a cow with potential." The ship captain had brought her along to keep his crew supplied with fresh milk during the voyage, probably because Holstein cows can generate almost nine gallons of milk a day! Chenery was so blown away by this cow's impressive milk output that he kept importing more Dutch cows. At 1,500 pounds and standing nearly five feet tall at the shoulder, these gentle giants are basically the dairy equivalent of getting a Volkswagen Beetle to produce premium fuel.